


Your Favorite Color

by fangirlsanity



Category: Shin Sekai Yori | From the New World
Genre: F/F, Mentions of Canonical Character Death, Second person POV, may extend ending later, mentions of canonical sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-14
Updated: 2016-03-14
Packaged: 2018-05-26 15:15:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6244804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlsanity/pseuds/fangirlsanity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's your favorite color, so it makes sense why you fall in love with Maria in the first place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Your Favorite Color

**Author's Note:**

> My friends and I watched the emotional rollercoaster that is From the New World months ago. I absolutely love the plot and the dynamics of the character relationships! The relationship between Maria and Saki really spoke to me and inspired this little gem. After a while, I sorta gave up on it, but I found this gathering dust and I hunkered down to finish it (which kind of explains the abrupt ending whoops). I hope you guys like it!

It's the color of hair that passes you by. You are so stunned by the brightness of it that you momentarily forget how nervous you are about starting school for the first time. Your feet are walking, but in your vision everything else sort of fades away. You stare at the girl as she gets farther and farther away from you with confident strides.

You stop and shake your head, effectively ending your trance. But the nervousness sets in again.

(You didn't know back then that the color of that girl's hair would follow you for the rest of your life.)

* * *

It's the color of the carpet that you stare blankly at on your third official day at harmony school. At this point, you still haven't made any friends. You try, but the moment you open your mouth to say something the fear of saying something wrong overcomes you, and nothing comes out. You feel that the only kid that knows you exist is the dark haired boy that sends you reassuring smiles whenever the teacher calls on you to read.

The seats next to you are empty, you start to feel lonely.

That is, until you hear footsteps that stop next to you.

“Can I sit here?”

You look up. It's that girl again, the girl with the bright colored hair. You are somewhat shocked that someone would want to sit with you. You nod vigorously anyways, and she beams and sits down next to you.

“I'm Maria. What's your name?”

It's the color of your cheeks as you nervously answer her, “Saki.”

As you continue to talk to Maria, you note how her turquoise eyes completely contrast her hair. You find them just as pretty.

(At that moment, the color of Maria's hair becomes the color of the happiness that settles in your heart.)

* * *

It's the color of the bonds you make. Being friends with Maria leads you to become friends with Reiko, and then Satoru, and then Ryou, and then Shun. On the night when you and your friends play a vigorous game of Capture the Flag—which ended in a draw—your mom tells you of an ancient legend she came across while working in the library that day called The String of Fate.

“Back then,” your mother began, stroking your hair as you lay in bed, “the ancient ones believed in a thing called 'soulmates.' It's the idea that there is one person in the entire world that completes you and would love you unconditionally. And in turn, you will love that person unconditionally. Some of the ancient ones believed that the thing that resembled a connection between two soulmates was a string that connected them by their hearts. The thread may tangle or fray, but it will never break. Soulmates were forever.”

You yawned, “That sounds great, Mama.”

Your mother giggled, “You know what I think?”

“What?”

“I think that the String of Fate doesn't just apply to soulmates. I think it applies to all kinds of relationships. Because when you make a bond with someone, you're bonded with them for the rest of your life.”

“So there's a string for you and me? And me and Maria? And all of my friends?”

“Yes, dear.”

“...even Satoru?”

“Yes, dear. Even Satoru.”

“But he's so annoying.”

For some reason, you haven't been able to keep the story out of your head since the night your mother told you about it. You have no idea why. Maybe it's because it's comforting that all of your friends will be connected forever, no matter what.

And maybe, just maybe, when the sun is just right, you can barely see the thread that goes from you to your friends.

(You still can't help but wonder, though, who your soulmate is.)

* * *

 

It's the color of your eyes as you cry, cry, cry. Maria is going to leave you.

You're almost eleven years old when Maria tells you that her Cantus has awakened and that she would be transferring to Sage Academy, leaving you alone.

“Don't be sad, Saki,” she tries to console as you sob into her shoulder, “I'll come see you. I'm not leaving forever.”

If anything, it makes you cry even harder. That's the same thing all of your other friends said when their Cantus' awakened, and you haven't seen them in months. Even Shun and Ryou and Satoru.

Satoru. Even his Cantus awakened before yours did.

Maria pulls away from you slightly, taking in your swollen eyes, neverending tears, and your deep frown.

“Saki,” she starts, almost motherly, “have I ever lied to you? Or broken a promise?”

Sniffling, you shake your head weakly. It causes Maria to smile.

“So believe me when I say I promise that I'll come see you whenever I can, okay?”

You're still shaking, but you nod once more, “O-okay.”

Maria pulls you in for another hug, “It's okay to be sad though. But your Cantus will come, okay?”

(And Maria never ever breaks her promise, and she visits you at least once a week before going home.)

* * *

It's the color of relief when finally, at the age of twelve your Cantus is awakened. You are most definitely a late-bloomer. The last one of your friends to graduate into Sage Academy. You're kind of nervous, but it is overshadowed by the pure excitement you feel about being around your friends on a regular basis again.

But still, there is this shadow of a doubt still in your mind as you sit in your new classroom.

What if, after all this time, there was still no place for you among your friends? What if their abilities were so strong that they still end up leaving you in the dust?

But you feel arms wrap around your chest. In the corner of your eye you see Maria's long, long hair cascade over your shoulder and you feel silly. You look into Maria's turquoise eyes and they are as bright as her beaming smile. In fact, all of your friends are smiling at you—including Mamoru, who you just met but he seems like a nice enough boy. And in that moment, you realize that there will always be a place for you.

(You're ready to start more adventures with them by your side. Next to Maria.)

* * *

It's the color of the sunset as you walk with your friends, the familiar melody of “Going Home” carrying through the air. You and your friends are thirteen now and you all have put the summer camp incident in the past where it should be. It is also during this time when you realize something extremely important.

Maria is beautiful.

Of course you always knew this. Anyone with eyes could see that Maria is beautiful, drop dead gorgeous. But she's beautiful in other ways, like the sound of her laughter and her voice when she says your name, like the way she always smells of the sea and wildflowers, like the way she is kind and patient to Mamoru when he is struggling or anxious about an upcoming test, like the way that she has completely etched herself in your life that you can't imagine going a single day without her.

You stop walking suddenly but your friends walk ahead of you. You can vaguely see Satoru put his hand on Shun's shoulder for a moment longer than it should for two friends, but it doesn't register in your head because you have now come to an even more important conclusion.

Since when have you been in love with Maria?

Maria looks back at your frozen figure, an eyebrow quirked upwards in slight amusement. Mamoru looks back at you as well.

“Something wrong, Saki?” she asks. You try not to stare at the way her hair moves as a breeze pushes it back and forth.

You shake your head, hoping that the light hides your blushing face as you rush to catch up to your friends. Maria immediately grabs your hand, lacing your fingers with hers.

“Are you sure nothing is wrong?” she asks once more.

You squeeze her hand softly, “I'm sure. Everything's perfect.”

(When you go to sleep that night, you realize that maybe you've been in love with Maria all along. Perhaps even when you first saw her passing by you on the first day of school.)

* * *

It's the color of the butterflies in your stomach when you see Maria many days later, with none of the boys to distract you. She's facing away from you as she sits on a bench facing towards the sea. The sun is high in the sky, the summer light making her hair the brightest you've ever seen it. It's one of the reasons why summer is your favorite season.

You stand there for a moment, drinking the sight in when the words leave your mouth.

“Maria, do you think we'll be like this for the rest of our lives?”

Maria turns around to face you, her eyes sparkling like the sea, her smile sweet as she answers, “Of course. We'll be together forever, Saki.”

You stare at each other for a moment before she slides down the bench to make room for you, you take the seat next to her. As you look out to the sea together she takes your hand and intertwines your fingers. The act both calms you and makes the butterflies in your stomach intensify.

As if sensing your distress, she asks, “Is something the matter, Saki?”

You turn your head to her but your gaze is fixated on yours and Maria's hands entangled together. You shake your head.

“Nothing,” you say, but you know that she knows you're lying by the way she raises an inquisitive eyebrow at you. You feel a little scrutinized, it makes this predicament much more embarrassing than it should be.

You decide to rush the words—it's now or never, “I just—I'm so in love with you, Maria.”

You watch as her chest hitches from the declaration and then deflate in a wistful sigh, you watch as she starts to smile in a beautiful grin, you watch as the eternal light in Maria's eyes brighten when she realizes that yes, you did say those words, in that particular order, in the correct connotation.

To you, it's like seeing the sun for the first time, it's like noticing the beauty of the sunset, it's like feeling the ocean waves roll at your feet. You're beginning to wonder you were doubting that she would react badly to you. You're beginning to wonder why you spent many nights staring up at your ceiling, wondering what you were going to do if she didn't love you back. You're beginning to wonder, because the answer is so incredibly obvious.

Before you open your mouth to say anything else, you feel her lips touch yours. Gently. Lovingly. You feel the familiarity of her marshmallow-soft lips. And yes, she has kissed you before. She has touched you before.

But it's different now. It's not the touch of a person that needs to feel relief from a stressful situation. There's actual feelings now.

Maria brings a hand to gently cradle your face, and the other to tangle itself in your hair. And you know, you know, you know you're going to tell her you love her until the end of time. You're going to tell her so many times it's going to become your new Cantus chant.

She pulls back and gently presses her forehead against yours, she detangled her hand from your hair, pressing it softly against your other cheek. She's still smiling, you feel yourself smiling along with her.

“Saki, you silly girl. I already know. I already know, and I love you too.”

Those words are like music to your ears.

“Forever, Maria?”

“Forever, Saki.”

* * *

It's the color that fades away from your life. Slowly, gradually, because in the end you don't get a forever with Maria.


End file.
